Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg highlight Predators’ NHL quarter-century team

The NHL has unveiled its quarter-century team for the Nashville Predators.

Representing the top players who have competed for the Tennessee-based club over the past 25 years, the Predators’ first team includes forwards Mike Fisher, Filip Forsberg, and Paul Kariya, defensemen Roman Josi and Shea Weber, and goaltender Pekka Rinne.

Spending the final eight years of his career with the Predators, Fisher totaled 429 appearances in Nashville in which he collected 111 goals and 130 assists for 241 points. Fisher also added 24 points in 71 playoff outings with the Predators, underscored by a trip to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, a season in which he also served as captain.

The all-time leading scoring forward in Predators’ history, Forsberg has spent his entire career in Nashville, counting 13 seasons and 746 appearances in which he has recorded 305 goals and 349 assists for 654 points. Additionally, Forsberg has registered 59 points in 81 postseason appearances. In 2023-24, Forsberg became the first Predators forward to break the 90-point plateau as he collected 48 goals and 46 assists in 82 contests.

Despite spending just two seasons with the Predators, Kariya made the most of his time in Nashville, combining for 161 points through 164 contests. Alongside fellow forward Steve Sullivan, the 2005-06 season witnessed Kariya become the first Predators skater to score more than 30 goals in a season.

Now in his eighth season as captain of the Predators, Josi has emerged as the highest-scoring player in franchise history. Originally chosen 38th overall in the 2008 NHL Draft, through part of 14 seasons in Nashville, Josi has recorded 190 goals and 531 assists for 721 points in 953 career games. The Swiss-born blue-liner has also been proficient in the postseason, adding 45 points in 91 playoff games. In 2019-20, Josi was presented with the Norris Trophy after approaching point-per-game production with 16 goals and 49 assists through 69 outings.

Patrolling the Nashville blue line for the first 11 years of his career, Weber was a dominant all-around presence during his time in Tennessee. On eight occasions, the big-shot blue-liner put up double-digit goals, including four consecutive seasons from 2008-12. Weber remains the second-highest scoring defenseman in franchise history as his 166 goals and 277 assists for 443 points trail only Josi.

The winningest goaltender in franchise history, Rinne spent his entire career in Nashville, where through part of 15 seasons he saw 683 appearances in which he found the win column 369 times. Along the way, Rinne racked up 60 shutouts and combined for a .917 save percentage with a 2.43 goals-against average. In 2017-18, Rinne was presented with the Vezina Trophy after winning 42 of 59 games coupled with a .927 save percentage and 2.31 goals-against average.

The Predators’ second team counts forwards Ryan Johansen, David Legwand, and Steve Sullivan, defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Kimmo Timonen, and goaltender Juuse Saros.

Skating eight seasons with the Predators from 2015-23, Johansen sits sixth in franchise scoring with 362 points counting 110 goals and 252 assists through 533 appearances. En route to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, Johansen neared a point-per-game pace as he posted three goals and 10 assists through 14 outings.

The first-ever draft choice by the Predators, selected second overall in 1998, Legwand was part of the franchise for part of 15 seasons. Along the way, the Michigan native totaled 956 total appearances, a franchise record, while also collecting 210 goals and 356 assists for 566 points, putting him third in Predators’ history behind only Josi and Forsberg.

Spending six seasons with Nashville from 2003-11, Sullivan, alongside Kariya, was the first Predators player to eclipse 30 goals in a single season. In all, through 317 appearances with the Predators, Sullivan collected 100 goals and 163 assists for 263 points.

Among the top defensive-minded rearguards over the past quarter century, Ekholm spent 12 seasons in Nashville following his fourth-round selection in the 2009 NHL Draft. In all, through 719 total appearances, the Swedish rearguard registered 62 goals with 206 assists for 268 points to sit fifth in franchise scoring among defensemen, while his plus-104 showing with the Predators ranks second in team history.

Part of the defensive core in Nashville for eight seasons, Timonen was a dominant two-way presence, where through 573 contests he collected 79 goals and 222 assists for 301 points to trail only Josi and Weber in points by a Predators defenseman. In five of his eight seasons with Nashville, Timonen scored at least 10 goals.

Now in his 10th season guarding Nashville’s net, Saros has amassed 387 appearances in which he has posted 193 victories, making him the second-winningest Predators goaltender behind Rinne. Along the way, Saros has posted 27 shutouts with a career .916 save percentage and 2.65 goals-against average.